Process and machine for producing fibrous mats



D. LABINO Oct. 31, 1961 PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FIBROUS MATS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1956 Z INVENTOR By M mwQ m0 Zflflef ATTORNEYS i ll PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FIBROUS MATS Filed March 19, 1956 D. LABINO Oct. 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

m0 zaefdwopz A TTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice I 3,006,797 Patented Oct. 731, 1961 3,006,797 PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FIBROUS MATS Dominick Labino, Maurnee, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Johns-Manville Fiber Glass Inc, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 19, 1956, Ser. No. 572,445 4 Claims. (Cl. 15628) This invention relates to asphalt bonded glass fiber roofing mats and to a process and machine for their production.

In one aspect this invention relates to a process for producing roofing mats from chopped glass fibers bonded together with asphalt.

In another aspect this invention relates to a machine for producing roofing mats from chopped glass fibers interfelted in random fashion and bonded together with cured asphalt.

Built up roofs for industrial buildings and other structures utilizing fiat or substantially fiat roofs are generally made from strips of asphalt impregnated kraft paper. Such roof structures are prepared by first mopping the roof boards with hot asphalt and then laying down alternate layers of asphalt paper and hot asphalt until the desired thickness of roof is built up. The durability of such roofs is limited by the life of the paper layers which are subject to deterioration when exposed to moisture, sunshine and other elements, such as when cracks develop in the structure due to expansion and contraction of heat and cold. When cracks form, water is drawn into the roof structure by the wicking action of the fibers of the paper, resulting in rotting and decay. Such deteriora tion requires periodic maintenance in the form of remopping with asphalt and eventually roof replacement is required.

Accordingly it is an important object of the present invention to provide an asphalt bonded glass fiber roofing mat.

A further object is to provide a method for producing glass fiber roofing mats from chopped glass strands wherein the chopped strands are bonded together with cured asphalt.

Another object is to provide a machine for producing roofing mats from chopped glass strands which are bonded together with asphalt.

The product prepared in accordance with the present invention is a thin, though web of porous structure composed of short lengths of chopped glass strands interfelted in random fashion, and bound together at their interstices by asphalt. This material is particularly well adapted for use in the preparation of built-up roofs as employed on buildings. Roofing mats made in accordance with the present invention, by virtue of their open porous structure are highly absorbent to asphalt mixtures of various types, and when utilized in roof making provide roof structures of improved integrity and longer life. Because of their glass content the present roofing mats have a low coefiicient of expansion, which contributes to long roof life by reducing cracks md fractures.

Also since the inorganic glass fibers are not water absorbent, they display no wicking action, thus in efiect inhibiting the seepage of water into the roof structure if and when cracks do form, as by oxidation of the asphalt through prolonged exposure to the elements of the atmosphere.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view, partially in section, of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention for producing asphalt bonded roofing mats;

1G. 2 is a plan view of the fiber chopping unit employed in the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 1 the principal components of the machine 10 include the strand chopping unit 11, the strand dispersing unit 12, the mat forming and washing conveyor 13 with its associated drying oven 14, the asphalt spraying and hardening section 15, and the mat roll-up section 16.

As best shown in FIG. 3 the chopping unit 11 is supported upon a steel framework 17. The chopping unit 11 includes a housing 18 in which a cutter roll 179 and associated feed rolls 20 and 21 are journaled for rotary movement. The cutter roll 19 is provided with a plurality of elongated knives 22 having their cutting edges disposed perpendicular to the periphery of, and parallel to the axis of the cutter roll. The feed rolls 20 and 21 are disposed in peripheral contact, with their axes in horizontal, parallel relation. Feed roll 20 is disposed vertically above roll 21. The peripheries of the feed rolls 20 and 21 are covered with rubber or other suitable friction material to grip glass strands 23 fed therebetween. A gear train (not shown) is provided in the housing 18 for rotating rolls 19, 20 and 21 at synchronized speeds. Power is furnished by a motor 24 through belt 25 and pulley 26, the latter being connected with the gear train for rotating the rolls.

The cutter roll 19 has its axis parallel to the axis of the lower feed roll 21 and the cutting edges of the knives 22 contact the periphery of the lower roll to cut strands 23 held thereagainst. As shown in FIG. 1, the continuous glass strands 23 are drawn from a suitable supply and passed between the feed rolls 2t} and 21, and are drawn downwardly between the cutter roll 19 and the lower feed roll 21 Where they are chopped into strand unit lengths 27.

The strand unit lengths 27 fall freely downwardly into a gaseous blast 28 of high temperature and high velocity produced by burner 29 and are thereby blown into the primary duct 3! of the fiber dispersing unit 12. The duct 39 spreads and flattens the gaseous blast 28, containing entrained strand unit lengths 27, into an elongated rectangular band. From the primary duct 30 the strand unit lengths 27 are directed into a secondary duct 32 which generally enlarged and diffuses the elongated rectangular band from the primary duct for directing the strand unit lengths 27 toward a collecting chain 33.

The burner 29 is of the internal combustion type having a refractory lined cavity (not shown) supported within a steel shell 34. A combustible gas mixture, such as natural gas and air, is introduced into the burner 29 via pipe 35 where-it is burned and the combustion products are ejected with great velocity at a high temperature as the blast 28 from a restricted orifice outlet 36 of elongated rectangular shape provided inthe front of the burner. A threaded shaft 37 is secured as by welding to the rear wall 38 of the burner 29 and is supported in an adjustable hanger and alignment assembly indicated at 39. Thus the burner 29 is adapted for horizontal and vertical alignment with the inlet opening 49 of the primary duct 30 of the fiber dispersing unit 12.

The primary duct 30 of the fiber dispersing unit 12 is a hollow frustum-like structure of rectangular section, having open ends. The upper and lower panels 41 and 42 of the primary duct 30 are of planar, trapezoidal configuration as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The upper and lower panels 41 and 42 are held in forwardly converging relation by virtue of the tapered side panels 43.

The inlet opening 40 is of substantially square section which tapers throughout the length of the primary duct 30 to an outlet opening 44 of elongated rectangular configuration. Thus strand unit lengths 27, falling. freely 'lower panels 41 and 42 and the side panels 43 are secured in a desired relation by means of C-clamps '45. While the taper of the side panels 43 is constant, the

distance between the front and rear ends of these panels is adjustable through the G-clamps 45 to vary the shape of the inlet opening 40 and of the outlet 44 as desired.

The secondary duct 32 of the fiber dispersing unit 12 comprises a hollow steel shell having a substantially flat bottom panel 46, FIG. 5, oval ends 47 and 48 and a top panel 49 of generally elliptical curve generation. Thus a section taken through any portion of the secondary duct 32 would provide a semi-elliptical plane section.

The inlet opening 50 of the secondary duct 32 is of slightly larger inside dimension than the outside dimension of the outlet opening 44: of the primary duct 39. The secondary duct 32 tapers from the inlet opening 50 in a gradually enlarging manner up to the enlarged outlet opening 51, and appears of trapezoidal configuration when viewed in plan as per FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the outlet opening 44 of the primary duct 30 extends slightly into the inlet opening '50 of the secondary duct 32, Thus the primary duct 30 and the secondary duct 32 are disposed in coacting relationship. The relationship is such that a space 52 is providedbetween the periphery 53 of 'the primary duct outlet opening 44 and the inside surface 54 of the secondary duct inlet 50. This space 52 between the two elements is provided to permit the passage of aspirated air into the secondary duct 32. As mentioned above, the

burner 29 produces a high velocity blast 28 of gaseous combustion products which move at a'rapid rate through the primary duct '39 and out the outlet opening 44 of the primary duct. This high velocity gas stream causes appreciable amounts of air to be aspirated or drawn into the inlet'openin'g 50 of the secondary duct 32. Thus the fiber stream emanating from the primary duct 3% is admixed *with appreciable quantities of induced air in the secondary duct 32 to cause the strand unit lengths 27 to be further dispersed or fanned out and uniformly distributed across the area defined by-the outlet opening 51 of the secondary duct 32.

The secondary duct 32 is provided with a bracket 55 secured as by welding to the terminal edge of the bottom panel 46 at the inlet opening 50, and is supported by *means of shaft 56, the ends of which are rotatably journaled in ears 57, secured to the panel 42 of the primary duct 30. A vertically disposed rod 58 is secured 'atacentral medial portion to the top panel 49 "of the secondarydu'ct 32 as by threading its lower end I into an appropriate aperture provided insuch panel and 'is locked in'placeby a bolt 59. The upper end of the rod 58' is passed 'then through an aperture in the frame member 60'and is secured inradjusted position by a'pair of lock bolts 61. By vertically moving the rod '53 :throughtmeans of the bolts 61, the outlet end {of the secondary'duct 32 can be adjusted to a desired vertical position. I p h e As the strand unit lengths are ejected from the outlet 51 of the secondary du'ct 32 they are impinged against a vertically inclined collecting flight -62 of the continuous chain 33 where they are gathered as a 7 random ma't '63.

The conveyor chain 33 is movably mounted upon a "series of fi-ve parallel rolls 64, 65, 66, 67, '68, one or mor e ot which tare adapted to be power driven. The

fiber collecting flight 62 is supported in vertically inclined planar configuration by rolls "64 and '65. The mat washing flight 69 is supported by rolls 65 and 66 and the vertically downwardly inclined mat effluent flight 70 is supported by rolls 66 and 67. The return flight 71 passes from roll 67 around roll 68 and thence horizontally back to roll 64.

As shown in FIG. 3 a' suction box 72 is placed behind the collecting flight 62 and is provided with an outlet 73 leading to 'a suitable suction. device such as a fan. A portion of the fiber collection flight 62 defined by the bottom edge of the outlet opening 51 of the secondary duct 32 and roll 64 is covered with a sheetrsteel baffle 74 so that a reduced pressure zone producedby suction 'boX 72 is concentrated substantially at the outlet 51 of the secondary duct 32. The gaseous constituents of the fiber stream pass through the chain 33 and are carried away by the suction box 72 and strand lengths 27 are deposited on the chain as a uniform random 63.

As shown in FIG. 1 the mat 63 is carried upwardly around the roll 65 onto the horizontally disposed washing flight 69 where a plurality of water sprays 75 are positioned to impinge upon the mat 63 and cause interfelting of the fibers of the strand unit lengths '27. The Water drains through the mat '63 and the chain 33 and collects in a recovery trough 76 provided immediately beneath the chain. The mat 63 continues forwardly'and downwardly on the effluent flight 76 and is transferred at point a onto a second horizontally disposed continuous conveyor chain 77. The mat 63 passes first through the drying oven 14 where the water from the sprays 75 is removed, and thence to the asphalt spray zone 15 where "fluidized asphalt from a suitable heat exchanger is conducted -by pipes 78 to the spray heads 79 and thence 'is ejected uniformly over the surface of the mat 63. A hood 80 is placed around the spray heads 79 to inhibit scattering of the atomized asphalt and a recovery pan '81 is placed beneath the chain 77 to collect any; excess asphalt which is sprayed through the mat 63.

The asphalt coated mat 63 then passes into anoven 82 where all volatile 'materials'ar'esubstantially completely removed and the asphalt is renderednon-tacky. The mat 63 is then transferred to a third conveyor chain 83 to e-xpose the mat to the airso that it can cool to room temperature. 7 When properly cooled, the mat is wound into rolls at-themat roll up section 16.

' his to be understood that the principal'embodiment in the present invention is applicable to the production of bonded mats containing organic fibers or wool as well as those formed of glass materials. These include cotton, jute and other vegetable materials as Well as nylon, Dacron, rayon and similar synthetic fibers. 'When so operating the burner may be replaced with a high pressure air jet-to prevent-softening or combustion of the fibrous materials which are fed into the inlet opening of the primary duot from the chopper unit.

It isalso to be considered within the scope of thepresent invention that binders other than fluidized asphalt may be employed. For example, thermosetting synthetic resins in "liquid form, such as the phenol forma-ldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde and similar aldehydes condensationproducts, and the like are to be considered to fall within the purview of this invention. Also thermoplastic resins'of which asphaltm-ay be considered an analogousmaterial, are to be included.

Such thermoplastics include .nylon, cellulose acetate,

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, but that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for producing a bonded fibrous mat comprising, means for producing a gaseous flow stream of high velocity, means for dividing a continuous multifibered strand into unit lengths and directing said lengths into said flow stream, a first duct adapted to receive said flow stream and entrained strand lengths and form said flow stream into an elongated rectangular band, said first duct having a discharge opening, a second duct, said second duct having an entrance opening, said entrance opening being positioned in coacting spaced relation to said discharge opening and partially exposed to the atmosphere, said second duct being adapted to receive the flow stream from said first duct and diffuse it in enlarging array, means for collecting the fibers from said second duct as a uniform random mat, means for coating said mat with a fluidized binder, and means for hardening saidbinder.

2. Apparatus for producing a bonded fibrous mat comprising, means for producing a gaseous flow stream of high velocity, means for dividing a continuous multiiibered strand into unit lengths and directing said lengths into said flow stream, a first duct adapted to receive said flow stream and entrained strand lengths, said first duct having a discharge opening, a second duct, said second duct having an entrance opening, said discharge opening of said first duct and said entrance opening of said second duct being positioned in atmospheric aspirating relation with said entrance opening of said second duct being positioned to receive the flow stream from said first duct and diffuse the same in generally enlarging array, means for collecting the fibers from said second duct as a uniform and random mat, means for coating said mat with a fluidized binder, and means for hardening said binder.

3. Apparatus for producing a bonded fibrous mat as defined in claim 2, wherein said first duct has an inlet opening positioned in atmospheric aspirating relation to the high velocity gaseous flow stream.

4. The method of producing a fibrous mat including the steps of, providing a high velocity gaseous flow stream, aspirating atmospheric gases into said flow stream in a first stage providing a plurality of unit lengths of rnulti-fibered strand, introducing said unit lengths into said aspirated flow stream to provide partial dispersment of the fibers of said unit lengths, aspirating atmospheric gases into said flow stream to uniformly disperse said strand lengths in a second stage, passing said flow stream through a planar forarninous member adapted to remove said strand lengths as a mat from the gaseous component of the flow stream, applying water to said mat to cause interfelting of the partially dispersed fibers of said unit lengths, subsequently removing water, applying a fluidized binder to said mat, and stabilizing said binder.

References flied in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,765,026 Miiler June 17, 1930 2,195,158 Watts Mar. 26, 1940 2,302,790 Modigliani Nov. 24, 1942 2,331,146 Slayter Oct. 5, 1943 2,503,246 Craig Apr. 11, 1950 2,523,759 Grant Sept. 26, 1950 2,577,205 Meyer et a1 Dec. 4, 1951 2,607,075 Stalego Aug. 19, 1952 2,702,261 Bacon et al Feb. 15, 1955 2,719,336 Stotler Oct. 4, 1955 2,787,314 Anderson Apr. 2, 1957 2,790,741 Sonneborn et a1 Apr. 30, 1957 2,860,687 Cole Nov. 18, 1958 

1. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A BONDED FIBROUS MAT COMPRISING, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A GASEOUS FLOW STREAM OF HIGH VELOCITY, MEANS FOR DIVIDING A CONTINUOUS MULTIFIBERED STRAND INTO UNIT LENGTHS AND DIRECTING SAID LENGTHS INTO SAID FLOW STREAM, A FIRST DUCT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID FLOW STREAM AND ENTRAINED STRAND LENGTHS AND FORM SAID FLOW STREAM INTO AN ELONGATED RECTANGULAR BAND, SAID FIRST DUCT HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING, A SECOND DUCT, SAID SECOND DUCT HAVING AN ENTRANCE OPENING, SAID ENTRANCE OPENING BEING POSITIONED IN COACTING SPACED RELATION TO SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND PARTIALLY EXPOSED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID SECOND DUCT BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE FLOW STREAM FROM SAID FIRST DUCT AND DIFFUSE IT IN ENLARGING ARRAY, MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE FIBERS FROM SAID SECOND DUCT AS A UNIFORM RANDOM MAT, MEANS FOR COATING SAID MAT WITH A FLUIDIZED BINDER, AND MEANS FOR HARDENING SAID BINDER. 